The present invention relates to management of mobile assets and, more particularly, to a system for monitoring mobile assets in real time.
Wireless monitoring of remote assets, whether fixed machines, mobile vehicles, or inventory contained in mobile vehicles, is well described in the literature and in prior art. In general, technologies have been described to gather sensory data, modulate or encode that data as a digital or analog signal, transmit the signal to a processing center, demodulate or decode the signal, and then send it to a user. These monitoring systems gather and send data in, usually, one direction and at discrete times for later processing. When they do send data in both directions (data source to user and also user to data source), the transmissions are usually accomplished in batch mode, meaning a communication session is opened for the purpose of communicating data and then closed until a later time, when another session is opened again.
Complete management of any asset needs communication to be bidirectional and nearly continuous, as ever more complex operational procedures require real-time data analysis and updating of operation instructions. The tasks involved in management of assets in an operational setting include defining asset availability, defining current asset conditions that affect limitations in functions that can be implemented, in scheduling of the asset to implement a specific function, in monitoring the performance of the function by the asset against the performance plan, and in reporting information for function recording and accounting. Monitoring is but one piece of the management process described.
Demands for constant knowledge or security, temperature, humidity, pressure, and other operating conditions require more and more data gathering. Managing and minimizing theft, counterfeiting, public safety, and health all require constant monitoring and bidirectional information flow, with each information transfer being dependent on current conditions as well as previous data from the user perspective (like a storage container being cut open in a theft attempt) and changes in information in the management center environment (like a new order to deliver or a change in a customer's schedule).
The lack of defined communications networks and the possibilities of asynchronous changes in the structure of the asset and the linkages between the structural components makes the real-time, bidirectional operational control situation far more complex. For example, a truck (or tractor), trailer, and truck driver may all be linked together within one specific activity. However, drivers may change, trucks may switch trailers, and pallets and containers may be changed between trailers and warehouses. Data acquisition must therefore be independent for the smallest independent asset, and each data must be able to be communicated separately or together with other assets.
Making matters even more complex is that not only can the linkages change (driver to truck to trailer to pallet), but the structure can change, as in one case a trailer's temperature may need to be monitored and in another a humidity or a door or wall security may need to be monitored. These structural needs can change with location and operator. Further, the data and associated linkages must be maintained so they can be reported from any dimension. For example, a pallet could span different trailers, which span different trucks, which span different drivers. And reporting must offer complete data from the frame of reference of the pallet, from the frame of reference of the trailer, from the frame of reference of the truck, and from the frame of reference of the driver.
The distributed nature of the assets requires that the mobile asset define the linkage changes, though they may be prescribed from the management center. This means that while the management center may make the decisions, the mobile asset must originate, maintain, and manage the communication and must confirm changes in status, with the linkages either according to plan or not.
These management needs require real-time data acquisition, analysis, and communication in both directions, i.e., management system to asset and asset to management system. And communications must be guaranteed in order that the management system can rely on the automated system to present reliable information. And, the data gathering and data distributing mechanisms must allow data combination in any actual configuration, with the configuration being determined by the assets itself.
Conventional communications techniques involving landline connections and even computer network connections can be used for management of assets that are fixed in location. With connection to a gateway, to a wide area network or to the internet, information can be sent to many remote users. These systems can maintain a persistent (i.e., always on) connection, allowing, in principal, continuous communication and complicated feedback algorithms for asset control.
With recent advances in wireless networking, wireless network systems are now available that communicate via internet protocol techniques over a local network, though asset mobility is limited to a range of a few hundred feet. Remote monitoring and commanding with conventional information flow management concepts can be implemented using industry standard communications protocols if the mobile asset can be within range of a fixed communication gateway.
With straight line of sight between transmitter and receiver, certain other wireless communications techniques are possible. And high frequency and satellite transmissions have become feasible, although only for batch communication that does not permit true real-time control. With assets that move outside of available communications networks, these types of protocols are not practical since they do not manage and confirm communication delivery, they do not support either persistent bidirectional information flow from multiple configuration components on each end of the communication, or they simply do not involve practical costs.
Existing techniques can be used to monitor and report status of assets with wider mobility ranges, but monitoring and reporting does not, in and of itself consider real-time, continuous bidirectional management information flow with guaranteed communication integrity.
Transmission for these monitoring needs can be implemented by a variety of wireless technologies. Some such wireless technologies employ cellular radio transmission, some utilize satellite networks, and some may use a specific local and/or private radio system. Many wireless remote monitoring systems utilize batch communication, and some systems employ feedback mechanisms to command a remote operation.
Batch communications generally involve finite commands sent periodically from remote asset to a data center. The communications may specify specific information at specific intervals, and throughput is often limited to a subset of information necessary to fully implement the management function. In order to implement certain management functions (e.g., such as real-time sales order negotiation and booking, order scheduling and routing, and execution and reporting of mobile activities), however, information must be organized and coordinated in multi-level, real-time feedback loops with guaranteed integrity. Also, the structure of the commanding and reporting must allow for data combination as well as parsing on both asset-side and management-side, with a real-time asset-configurable methodology.
There exists a need for a system capable of providing data communication sufficient to permit operational efficiencies with high reliability.
There also exists a need for an always-on, persistent connection between the decision control point and an operations execution asset for providing true real-time command, control, and communication.
There also exists a need for an ability to control the environmental status of the asset and any inventory or other material, with commanding and feedback allowing automated data transactions without human intervention.